1. Field of Use
This disclosure is generally directed to surface layers having a low surface energy and specifically to fuser members useful in electrophotographic imaging apparatuses, including digital, image on image, and the like.
2. Background
Very low surface-energy coatings are required in many industries for a broad range of applications, including non-stick cookery, anti-fouling of marine contaminants, self-cleaning windows and architectural materials, machinery coatings, mold release packaging, ink and toner packaging, anti-graffiti components, ink-jet printing and oil-less printing. Very low surface-energy coatings are required for oil-less printing. Fillers have been added to low surface energy fluoroplastic materials such as perfluoroalkoxy polymer resin (PFA) to modify the surface properties; however non-fluorinated material fillers often result in poor release performance. It would be desirable to have a filler material that improves surface properties of fuser topcoats.
In the electrophotographic printing process, a toner image can be fixed or fused upon a support (e.g., a paper sheet) using a fuser roller. Conventional fusing technologies apply release agents/fuser oils to the fuser roller during the fusing operation, in order to maintain good release properties of the fuser roller. For example, oil fusing technologies have been used for all high speed products in the entry production and production color market.
A coating having a low surface energy that is durable and easily manufactured is desirable. In addition, a coating having an even distribution of texture forming particles that enables transfer of toner to form films of variable gloss is desirable.